Melon Day

Quick Facts

Learn about Melon Day

The charm, one might say the genius, of memory is that it is choosy, chancy, and temperamental; it rejects the edifying cathedral and indelibly photographs the small boy outside, chewing a hunk of melon in the dust.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning﻿

Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and Galia Melons, just to name a few. These are the fruits we celebrate on Melon Day, a day dedicated to all forms of muskmelon, and one in particular. If you’re a lover of fresh crisp melon on a hot day, then you already know why it deserves a day of its own. But let us tell you of the Turkmenbashi melon, a melon of pride in Turkmenistan.

History of Melon Day

Turkmenistan? Where is Turkmenistan we hear you ask, and what does it have to do with melons? Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country on the shores of the Caspian Sea and has spent the majority of its lifespan as the crossroads of civilization. In its time it has served as an important trade stop between the West and the East, and its city of Merv was of great import on the silk road.

In 1994 an auspicious event happened in Turkmenistan, the establishment of Melon Day by its first president, Saparmurat Niyazov. The Turkembashi melon was named for his preferred name “Turkembashi”, which meant “Leader of the Turkmens.” In a speech praising the fertility of the Turkmenistan soil and the farmers who worked it, he raised the Turkmen melon as being a fruit so delicious it was a taste of paradise. Melon Day is your opportunity to share in a taste of paradise and to celebrate this countries unique history, and the fruit that is its pride and joy.

How to celebrate Melon Day

The best way to celebrate Melon Day is with a delicious blend of melons cut up in a salad, at least as a starter! You can also create a blend of melon and yogurt to enjoy the two creamy mixture together. Want to try something unusual? Try a honeydew blueberry soup, which may sound complicated but is truly a simple affair. You take a single honeydew melon and a cup of blueberries and mix then together in a blender till smooth (Do remove the honeydew from its rind first) and allow it to chill in the refrigerator. Then you simply have to take a bowlful and crumble an oatmeal cookie over it! Delicious!

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